Combined salt and pepper shaker



March l, 1930. G. B. SMITH COMBINED SALT AND PEP'ER- SHAKER Filed Sept.28, 1928 Patented Mar. .11, 1930 GARLAND B. SMITH, OF OC'ONOMIOWOC,4WISCONSIN COMBINED SALT AND PEPPER SHAKER applicati@ mea september 2s,192s. 'serial No. 309,045.

This invention relates to combined salt and pepper shakers.

Numerous attempts have been made to provide a condiment receptaclesuitable for con- 5 taining more than a single condiment. These priorshakers have been necessarily cumbersome to provide space to houseessential operating mechanism, which for the most part has beencomplicated, to permit lthe discharge of one form of condiment andsimultaneously withhold the discharge of a second form of condiment. Inprior shakers it has beencommonpractice to discharge the condiments fromeither a single aperture or a plurality of apertures adjacent oneanother on a single face of the receptacle. For numerous reasons none ofthese shakers have met with real public favor. They have been cumbersomeand unsightly. They have contained in most instances complicatedoperating mechanism which frequently became clogged and inoperative. Andfurther their construction has been such that it precluded readydismantling and reassembling for the purpose of washing the receptaclesto keep them in sanitary condition. p A

@ne object of the present invention is the provision of a combined saltand pepper shaker of small and compact form 'which will permit thedischarge of salt from one end of the shaker and pepper from the otherend of the shaker. y

Another object is the provision of a comlbined salt and pepper shakerwhose construction will permit easy filling of the shaker and readyremoval of the operating elements for the purpose of cleaning theshaker.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the following descriptionof an illustrative embodiment of the present invention.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a vertical mid-section through a shakerconstructed in accordance w1th the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the shaker with a portion of the top cutaway.

The 'shaker shown in the accompanying drawings comprises a body portlon10 of moulded glass, having a lower extremity 11 fashioned in the formof an open-mouthed base. A partition 12 formed integral with the wall ofthe body portion serves to divide the interior of the body into aplurality of compartments 13 and 14. Both of these compartments are openat their upper ends. A flange 15 around the top of the body portion 10serves asl a seat for a closure 16 of the shaker. The closure 16isprovided with a plurality of apertures 16 through whichl the condimentcontained in the compartment 13 may 6o be discharged. The top is alsofashioned' with a central cup shaped element 17 which is retained withina recess 18 of the top 16. The cup-shaped element 17 is designed so thatit registers with the inner face of the wall of e5 the partition12 toclose the compartment 14. l An opening 19 at the base of compartment 14provides communication between the compartment and the open mouthed base11.,l The opening 19 is provided with a seat 2O which 7o cooperates Witha head 21 on a stem 22 to forni a valve operable to discharge thecontents of the chamber by manipulation of a push button 23 which isremovably secured to the upper end of the valve stem 22 by means ofscrew 75 threaded engagement therewith. A coil spring 24, preferablyixed to the push button 23, surrounds the stem 22 and is undercompression between the bottom of the push button 23 and the base of thecup shaped mem- 8o ber 17 The action of this spring normally retains thehead 21. of the valve in engagement with the seat 20 to preclude theloss of any of the contents of compartment 14.v In addition to retainingthe valve in closed position this spring 24 serves to effectively retainthe closure 16 in position on the body of the shaker. l

To removecthe top for the purpose of refilling the shaker it becomesnecessary only to grasp the shaker with one hand and exert sufcientpressure upon the baseof the head 2l' withthe thumb or a linger toprevent its rotationand then with the other hand unscrew the push buttonfrom the stem 22. The top may then readily` be removed and thecompartments filled in the usual manner. To replace the cover of theshaker it is only necessary to thread the stem 22 through an aper- 100ture in the base of the element 17 and then rethread the push buttonupon 'the stem 22.

From the foregoing description 1t Will readily be seen that thecompartment 13 may be filled with pepper and the compartment 14 may belilled with salt. When the user desiresJto season with pepper the shakermay4 be 'inverted and used in the usual manner, if salt should bedesired the same may readily be discharged from fthe shaker by merelypressing the push button on the top of the shaker without inverting ythesame. Aparticular advantage will be gained with this form of shaker asthe discharge provided by into a central compartment open at both endsand a surrounding compartment open only at its upper end, a top closurefor said body i portion forming a seal'between said compartments,apertures in said closure rming a discharge for one of saidcompartments, and a valve controlled discharge opening at the bottom ofsaid other compartment.

2. In a salt and pepper shaker the combination of a hollow body portiondivided into separate inner and outer compartments accessible throughthe top of said body port-ion,

a normally open top discharge for said outer compartment, a dischargepassage at the bottom of said inner compartment,` and valve 'mechanismoperable from the top of said body portion for controlling saiddischarge passage, said valve mechanism including a 4 rod extendinglthrough said-inner compartment only.

3. A' salt and pepper shaker comprising a hollow body portion, apartition dividing said body portion into inner and outer compartmentsopen at their upper extremities, top closure means for saidcompartments, apertures in said closure means providing an opendischarge for said outer compartment, a bottom discharge opening in saidinner compartment, a valve stem extending from said bottom `dischargeopening through said topl closure, a valve on said stem coacting withsaid discharge opening, a removable head on the other end of said stem,and a spring interposed between said head and top closure to retain saidclosure on said body portion and to normally retain said valve incontact with said ,bottom discharge opening to close the same.

4. In a salt and pepper shaker the combination of a hollow body portion,a partition in said body portion dividing the same into two separatecompartments accessible through the top of said body portion, a topclosure for said body portion forming a seal between said compartments,apertures in said closure forming a discharge for one of saidcompartments, a discharge opening in the bottom of said othercompartment, a valve in said discharge opening, a stem on said valve,said stem extending up through said top closure, a push btton removablyattached to lthe upper end of said stem, and a spring surrounding saidstem interposed between said closure and said push button tosimultaneously retain said closure upon said body portion and said valvein closed position.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 25th day ofSeptember, 1928.

GARLAND B. SMITH.

